Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Curbside recycling in Baltimore

I'm always surprised to run into people in the Baltimore area who aren't aware of the curbside recycling programs. It's so easy! Just sort your paper, bottles, and cans into clear bags or open-top containers (or toss them all in together if you live in a single-stream recycling area) and put them outside on the prescribed day.

Baltimore County picks up recyclables every week, with paper and glass/cans/plastic on alternating weeks. Check their webpage to see what can and can't be recycled curbside. Better yet: post a copy of the list wherever you keep your recycling bins for quick reference until you learn the system.

But what if it's raining? You can still put your recycling outside. The guidelines request keeping paper out of plastic bags even in the rain, so I put mine in cardboard boxes or re-usable plastic storage containers to avert wet paper disaster.